Can I Build a Backyard Shed With a Basement?

Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romero’s radio show with questions about everything from preventing fires in their chimneys to getting rid of tree roots invading their sewer systems. His goal is to provide answers that suit the specific lifestyle wherever someone lives in Arizona. Here are questions about home maintenance and improvement from the Southern Arizona area.

QUESTION: I need more storage for my home and I’m thinking of building a shed. The Pima County building codes will allow me to have a 200-square-foot shed without getting a building permit. But I would also like to build a basement/cellar under the shed. Is this something that’s worth doing?

I could dig a hole and then support the walls of the shed with timber. Or should I have the foundation and walls poured or should I pour a footing and then lay down a cinderblock wall? I have plenty of room on my lot — three acres. I don’t want to put a livable area under the shed — just storage. I figure that I could have roughly 600 square feet of storage by following this plan. What do you think?

ANSWER:While you won’t need a permit for a non-permanent shed, you most definitely will need one for a shed with a basement. For that, you will need to place a foundation with appropriate reinforcing steel placed horizontally as well as vertically in the footing. Then you will either lay up the walls with grouted concrete masonry blocks or poured-in-place concrete walls. Then either a dirt wall or a poured slab can be placed with a floor system installed, bearing on the basement walls.

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Collin Rogers is a Buyer’s Agent with Barry & Diane Evans | The Evans Group

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Collin Rogers is Partner with
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Collin was extremely conscientious and thorough, and his patience was above and beyond. We worked well together, and he was able to adapt to our changing ideas of what we wanted in a home. Collin’s calm and professional but friendly demeanor made him a pleasure to be with. He always did what he said he would do.
Collin Rogers is partner with
Barry & Diane Evans | Evans & Friends

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Diane was very knowledgeable and extremely friendly. She answered all of my questions and explained everything in terms we could understand. She made our first home buying experience easy and fun. Barry and Diane had also been referred by 2 families.

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I was wondering if Keller Williams has a national or regional award for realtors who go above and beyond their duty? We have been working with an agent in Chattanooga who has far exceeded any agent I ever worked with (my father was a Marine and my husband just retired from the Army. I have had numerous agents in my lifetime). Tyler Moore is an exceptional individual and is a stellar agent. I have never had an agent so transparent and willing to help. We feel blessed that after a horrible introdu…

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A realtor in Murfreesboro suggested Barry, and when we talked, I felt comfortable with him. Barry & Diane’s counsel and understanding of our situation made us feel they would do their best for us. Cassie was a great resource if we had questions, and along with Barry & Diane, that was good.
Cassie Bellpanni is Partner with Barry & Diane Evans |Evans & Friends